GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



OF AMERICA 



THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF 

 THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PARK SUPERINTENDENTS. 



Devoted to Park Development and Recreational Facilities. 



Vol. XVIII. 



X( )\i':Miii';R, i')i4. 



N. 



Belgium's Contributions to Pomology 



«fiV 



At the present time, wlien the sufferings of llelgium 

 are attracting the sympathy of the civilized world, it is 

 impossible for horticulturists to forget the debt they owe 

 to that country. The gardens of the whole world have 

 profited much from the natural aptitude of the Belgians 

 for horticulture, and their sustained interest in pomology. 

 The names of towns and villages, now, alas ! of unhappy 

 fame, cannot be read by gardeners without calling up 

 memories of this or that fruit with which they are asso- 

 ciated. It is, therefore, of interest to recount some of the 

 main facts of Belgian pomological history, in order that 

 we may realize how much is due to this small country for 

 the fruits that have so greatly enriched the gardens of 

 the world. 



It may be presumed that the fertile soil of the country 

 has for many hundreds of years been favorable to the 

 culture of fruits, as it is mentioned by Roman authors as 

 a land famous for its apples. Before the eighteenth 

 century France was the unchallenged leader in the pro- 

 duction of new fruits, but the varieties which were intro- 

 duced were doubtless all chance seedlings, as the methods 

 of cross-fertilization were then unknown. In the early 

 part of that century the se.xuality of plants was beginning 

 to be widely known and taught at the universities, and 

 it is almost certain that this knowledge was first utilized 

 as a practical means of producing new fruits in Belgium 

 by Nicholas Hardenpont. This remarkable man was 

 born at RIons in 1755, and received his education at the 

 Univcrsit}' of Louvain. After taking his degree he re- 

 turned to his native town and commenced the experi- 

 ments which caused him to be regarded as the Father 

 of Pomology in Belgium. At this time the pears which 

 were generally grown were mostly of the crisp-fleshed 

 variety, and it is thought, with some reason, that Harden- 

 pont sought to increase the number of those with fondant 

 or melting flesh. Be this as it may, his results are cer- 

 tainly such as to confirm this oi)inion. His most famous 

 seedlings are Beurre d"Hardenpont and Beurre Ranee. 

 The former is now known in Fngland as CAou Morceau, 

 a name which it received about 1800. and which signifies 

 "dainty morsel." It is to be regretted that this valuable 

 pear, now so widely known, should not retain its original 

 name and thus keep alive the memory of its raiser. 

 Beurre Ranee is still widely grown in this country, and 

 the name has been the subject of several stories. One 

 of these describes a visit of some enthusiasts to the .Xbbe 

 Hardenpont, who asked them to try the new pear. One 

 of those present said it had a rancid flavor. "Rancid!" 

 said the indignant raiser, "I will call it I'eurre Ranee 

 to perpetuate and shame your bad judgment." This story, 

 probably ben trovato, is put aside by more serious writers 

 in favor of a derivation from the Flemish "rens," or 

 "reinsch," signifying bitter, a flavor which under bad 

 conditions this fruit occasionally develops. Passe Colmar, 



an e.xcellent December fruit when grown on a warm soil, ' 

 is another of the famous Abbe"s seedlings, and it is still 

 grown in this country. The other fruits of Hardenpont 

 are less known in this country. Delices d'Hardenpont, 

 Fondant de Panisel and a few others have now lost their 

 former popularity. 



Owing to the fact that Hardenpont was not much in 

 touch with horticultural circles, it was some time before 

 his fruits were widely distributed, but in 1806 Noisette 

 visited Belgium, and there saw and at once appreciated 

 these striking novelties, and through him they were soon 

 distributed over Europe. The interest aroused by these 

 new fruits naturally encouraged imitators, and pears seem 

 especially to have been the fruit which attracted their 

 attention. In 1787 M. Capiaumont, a chemist at Mons, 

 raised from a seed of the Calebasse Pear the variety 

 which still bears his name. For a wdiile it masqueraded 

 under the name of Beurre Aurore, and by this it is de- 

 scribed and figured in Lc Jardin Fruitier of Decaisne. 

 The fertility and hardiness of this fruit have led to its 

 cultivation in many countries. 



The greatest figure in Belgian pomology is undoubt- 

 edly that of J. B. Van Mons. His e.xtraordinary labors 

 and unfailing perseverance resulted in the production of 

 an enormous number of new fruits, which probably no 

 raiser has ever equaled. 



Van Mons' influence in stiiuulating others cannot 

 be over-emphasized. The very fact that he set out to 

 jirove a new theory gave zest to the endeavors of his 

 followers, and though his hypothesis is now seen to be 

 baseless, its pronnilgation was of great value to Belgian 

 pomologv. His experimental garden suffered severely 

 at the hands of the French army in its march on .\ntwerp, 

 but his courage in removing what could be saved from 

 the ruin and starting again elsewdiere are worthy of the 

 highest praise. After his death the mantle of Van Mons 

 fell upon Alexander J. D. Bivort, a pomologist whose 

 name will be remembered by his splendid Album de 

 Poinologic. which contains colored figures and descrip- 

 tions of the best of \'an Mons' seedlings. Bivort had 

 long been on terms of friendshij) with \'an Mons, and he 

 purchased all the seedlings then at Louvain and removed 

 them to his garden at Geest St. Remy, near Jodoigne. 

 Here the work of describing and figuring them was car- 

 ried on for many years, and the results published in the 

 Album de Pomologie, above referred to, and in the larger 

 Annales de Pomologie Beige et Etrangcre. Bivort claims 

 attention chiefly as a systematic pomologist, and as such 

 was a necessary complement to Van Mons. 



In 1853 Bivort was obliged to leave St. Remy, and a 

 new society, called the Societe Van Mons, was formed 

 under government auspices to continue the work. Bivort 

 was chosen as director, and a journal was publislied. 

 However, after a few years, the state subvention ceased 



